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Local players, coach shine in Border Bowl win
Border Bowl local players
Ten local football players participated for the Georgia Coastal Empire team in the Blitz Border Bowl held Jan. 13 at Memorial Stadium in Savannah. (Left to right, kneeling) Jayden Evans, JaKeim Leeks and Dominic Martell. Standing left to right -- Kaden De Genaro, Brady Meglan, Gary Cooper, Anselm Green, Jeremiah Washington, Aubrey Heath and Ashton Troutman. The Coastal Empire won 26-9. (Photos by Donald Heath for the Effingham Herald.)

By Donald Heath

Special for the Effingham Herald

 

SAVANNAH – For South Effingham senior quarterback Kaden De Genaro, one more opportunity to play football meant everything in the world.

The Blitz Border Bowl, a postseason game between selected players from the Georgia Coastal Empire and the South Carolina Lowcountry, gave him that opportunity.

DeGenaro ran for a score and completed 7-of-12 passes for 58 yards to help the Coastal Empire defeat South Carolina 26-9 at Memorial Stadium on Saturday, Jan.13.

The game was televised and sponsored by WSAV – the NBC affiliate in Savannah – with proceeds benefiting the Ronald McDonald House Charities.

“I thought they played this game earlier and I asked Coach Purvis, ‘What’s going on with the Border Bowl?’” said De Genaro, recalling his selection. “And he said, “Oh,

Purvis with trophy
South Effingham football coach Loren Purvis, who coached the Georgia Coastal Empire team, holds up the championship trophy after the Coastal Empire's 26-9 victory in the Blitz Border Bowl Jan. 13 at Memorial Stadium in Savannah.
I’m the coach, do you want to play?” I was like, ‘Yes, sir.’

“I saw it as an extra chance to put some film out there for the college (scouts),” DeGenaro added.

Overall, 10 local players from the county did the same while contributing to the win.

Effingham County running back Jayden Evans ran 10 times for 40 yards and a touchdown. Center Brady Meglan helped anchor the offensive line. Wide receiver Gary Cooper had two catches for seven yards and defensive lineman Anselm Green had a key interception that set up a touchdown and also recorded a sack.

South Effingham running back JaKeim Leeks ran for 20 yards on seven carries. Defensive back/tight end Aubrey Heath caught a pass for a two-point conversion and hauled in another ball for three yards.

And defensive backs Dominic Martell and Ashton Troutman and linebacker Jeremiah Washington were instrumental for a Coastal Empire defense that was collectively named the “Player of the Game.”

It took a few possessions before the teams warmed up on the windy, chilly afternoon with temperatures hovering in the 40s.

The Georgia team picked up the initial first down on the fifth possession of the game when Evans broke loose for 15 yards on his first carry.

He carried four times for 24 yards on the 11-play, 62-yard drive that culminated in De Genaro’s 4-yard TD run with 17 seconds to go in the first quarter to make it 6-0.

Seven plays into the second quarter, Evans scored on a 6-yard burst, capitalizing on Green’s interception and short return to the South Carolina 17.

“A game like this most definitely helps me,” said Evans, a 5-foot-9, 190-pounder who ran for 1,125 yards as a junior. “It gave me a chance to show what I can do, what I know I can do. Obviously, the coaches who chose the teams saw something in me to give me this opportunity. I thought I made the most of it and I was grateful.”

Heath caught a two-point conversion pass after the touchdown and Georgia led 14-0.

South Carolina was stuffed on its next possession and Georgia quickly turned the change of possession at the SC 21 into a touchdown after a flea-flicker from New Hampstead’s Jaylen Hampton to Statesboro’s Aiden Lewis to make it 20-0.

South Carolina produced its only touchdown on a 15-yard run by Hampton’s Zion Dobson in the third quarter. The visitors also scored on a safety in the fourth quarter.

Georgia scored its final TD during the final minute of the game when Islands’ Deven Deleon caught a 23-yard pass from Bryan County’s Sean Kelly Hill.

“To me, it’s an honor for our program to be asked to coach,” South Effingham coach Loren Purvis said. “You get another chance with the kids you coach and coach some of these kids who you’ve heard about or seen on video.”